Innikhdê
by Yoski
Summary: In his daze, Kili asked a question that changed everything on Tauriel's life. Can she really love him? Can they face prejudice and tradition? Can a promise... fight against Destiny? From Laketown to the Battle of the Five Armies... and perhaps even beyond. FINAL CHAPTER UPLOADED! -COMPLETE-
1. Chapter 1: Promise me

**I don't own any of these characters.**

**I'll tie in with the events of the book, so please, be warned there might be book spoilers on the next chapters.**

* * *

><p>"Do you think she could have loved me?"<p>

Kili's hand reached for Tauriel's and she didn't take it away. What could she tell him? Was this just some foolish feeling? She cared a little too much.

Since she could remember she had been taught dwarves were dumb, ugly and greedy creatures that cared nothing more than for their wealth. The Fall of Erebor had been a lesson for all to learn from, Thraundil had assured to Legolas and her. But in her mind, it also reflected on her own people: What would outsiders think of the Elves of the Woodland Realm? Those sad, strange and aloof creatures that care nothing of what happens to the rest of the world. She did not agree with that at all, but now Tauriel was starting to regret caring; Caring for the world, caring for their neighbor kingdoms, caring for this dwarf. *Specially* this dwarf. Her world was upside down.

Oh, the dwarves had been quite the characters but she had never imagined one like this one. In many ways she had realized they were very similar. They were young and so full of curiosity for the world and to do the right thing. She was barely 600 years old and had already attained the rank of Captain of the Guard. She had worked so hard to prove her worth to the King since he had taken her under his wing.

During her visits to his cell, Kili had explained to her about his life before their quest. He told her of how Fili and him had been trained for years by the best of their kin because they were the immediate heirs of their uncle Thorin. He had wished to distinguish himself from his brother and had taken up archery, quickly turning into the best marksman among his company. Tauriel was surprised at this and would have promised him for a friendly match of skill... hadn't he been a prisoner of the King.

It had been the little things like that which had slowly, but surely, pushed her in the current direction. She had started to wonder if they could have been friends under other circumstances, perhaps one day hunting together near the edge of the forest. She would have showed him the best hunting spots and in turn, he would have taken her to see the fire moon over Ered Luin. Perhaps they could have gone to chase orcs, and globins and many other wretched things, making the roads safer, allowing both their people to travel far and wide. She could see blooming friendship, understanding and laughs. But was she only fooling herself or did Kili of the Line of Durin actually wonder the same?

_"Do you think she could have loved me?"_

Oh, he had wondered the same and much, much more.

Now that he had said the words, she could not avoid thinking on the answer. She dared not to speak. She was afraid of her own heart. She was afraid that her lips would betray her. It was the first time someone had offered his heart so fully like that. Legolas had praised her many times on her skills and wits, but in all their life together he had never opened himself as this young dwarf was doing. Kili's warm words were spoken directly from the heart.

"Rest" she managed to whisper, she felt a knot on her throat.

From behind, Fili stepped closer to Tauriel. "The kids say there's another bed on the attic, we should put him there to rest, right?"

A little startled, Tauriel pulled her hand back from Kili's. She did not know if Fili had heard the exchange or if he approved. "Yes, that should be the best."

Kili frowned for a second, not understanding what was happening. He had been on daze all this time, taking the elvish figure before him as a soothing vision. "Walnuts do not make a good pillow, little brother, up you go" Fili moved to hold his head, while Bofur helped him with his feet.

"what...?" Kili finally came out of his trance-like state and his eyes went wide as they started to carry him to the attic, with Tauriel and Oin following close behind them.

She was here. It was truly her! Good gods... did he actually say that out loud? Did he ask her-?

"Careful with the head, he still looks a little pale" Bofur commented just when they were placing him down on the bed.

"I still can't believe it was a damn morgul blade..." Fili cursed under his breath, promising to kill every orc on his wake. He also gave furtive looks to the elf maiden. He had seen and heard it all, and while he was grateful of her, he still wasn't sure of this elf's intentions.

Their uncle had told them many a time how the treacherous elves had looked away from the suffering of their people; How there was no honor on their words and actions. Never trust an elf! And yet... she had turned her back on her own prince to help save Kili. Of course he was glad she had done it, but he couldn't think of what hidden agenda she might have. He could sense no ill intentions on her words or actions. She must be and odd one, he thought, very much like Kili. Did that really surprised him? Nah. How could it?

Kili had always been a little different from the rest of the dwarves. Fili blamed it on all the time they had spent among humans since a young age. Unlike the older lot, the brothers had an easier time socializing with humans, and it wasn't strange that human girls and women fancied them once in a while. But for Kili the flirting and play almost came natural. And then of course, there was the incident on Elrond's house…

"How do you feel?" Fili asked.

"I... I'm good" Kili's face was getting back his color, specially his cheeks. He gave his brother a meaningful look, that look that only brothers understand; the one that said "I think I just screwed up. HELP ME"

Fili sighed and turned back to look at Tauriel as she brought a bowl of water and some clothes.

"Will you look after my brother a little longer?" Fili asked the elf. Kili gulped and stared hard at Fili. What was he doing!? "Oin will patch the rest of us. No use on wasting elven magic on those little wounds."

"Yes, although, he just needs some rest- " she was starting to answer but Fili was already motioning Bofur out. Before she could say another word, Kili and Tauriel found themselves alone in the attic.

The tension on the room could be cut with a sword.

Kili promised to punch Fili for leaving like that. Was this his idea of helping? He had asked her, with all his heart, if she could have loved him. And she said nothing! Of course... how foolish had he had been to think they could have been anything more? She cared, he could see, but maybe just as a friend.

Tauriel hesitated a second but made her way to his side. She took a piece of cloth and soaked it the bowl of water. Just as she was going to place it on his forehead, he tried to take it.

"Oh. It's fine. I can do it..." he grabbed the cloth from her hands but she held his hands in turn.

"You are shaking" Tauriel was worried the fever had come back, although she quickly realized that wasn't the case.

"You saved me"

"Yes" Kili wanted to ask why she had come to save him, but kept explaining, almost reading his mind "I wished to stop those orcs before they hurt anyone else and, well… your mother would have been sad. No mother deserves that kind of pain"

"I...I must apologize. I might have said something very foolish in my daze" Kili looked away to the small window where the stars could be seen shining in the dark of night.

"There is no foolishness on speaking what's on your heart" she squished his hand slightly; she could tell his words had been honest.

"I was wrong back then in the cells. I said..." he hesitated, moving himself up to a sitting position "I said the lights of stars were cold and distant. Now I know that light is warm, precious and pure, like you said. But I have to accept I can never reach it. I realize I cannot reach you... _forgive me_ " he excused and tried to pull his hand back but she would not let him.

There was a second of silence while Kili tried to understand why she wasn't letting go.

"Oh, but you have..." she said with a half scared smile on her lips and a shy tear rolling down her cheek. Her very core had been moved by his words. There was really no need to lie to herself. Tauriel slowly leaned forward and kissed him softly on his forehead. Kili's eyes went wide, suddenly full of life. His chest would burst in warmth and joy. But then there was a slight tremor, a reminder of the reality around them.

Could that have been the Dragon in the mountain? The mountain where Thorin was? The dwarf that was at odds with the Elf King of the Woodland Realms? Even if that tremor wasn't Smaug or they survived the night, Thranduil would never approve. Thorin would never approve. They both understood that.

"This cannot be" Kili whispered with his eyes closed. Now his chest hurt so much. It hurt worse than the morgul blade had.

"It can be" Tauriel reassured, placing her forehead against his. She refused to let go of this new found feeling.

"It won't last" Kili held her face close, touching her skin and lips, trying desperately to burn that face into his mind, his heart, his soul, so he could never forget.

"I know" Another tear escaped from her eyes.

* * *

><p>"Where could he be?" Bain, Bard's son was restless at Fili's side looking out of the window. "He should have been here by now"<p>

"Did you see the guards taking him in?" Fili asked the boy.

"They were chasing after him. The guards usually give up after a while"

"They really don't like him, do they? The Master and his men" Bofur said helping the girls clear the house of debris and broken furniture from their fight. The boy just shook his head.

"They wouldn't do anything bad to dad, would they Bain?" Tilda asked her brother.

"No, no" he assured the younger girl, but once she had turned around he whispered to Fili "Not much anyway. There's still people who like my dad so the Master takes care on not hurting him_ too much_. At most, he has been a day at jail... and that's it" Bain hoped to be right.

At that moment, the door of the attic opened and Tauriel came down. She had been up there for a while. Her cheeks were pink.

Fili's mouth made a thin line and Bofur gave him a quick glance with a smirk. Fili scolded him.

"How is Kili?" he asked.

"He's resting" Tauriel said with a bittersweet smile "These wounds usually take days to heal for us elves and men. I have never seen someone recovering their strength this fast"

"Well, that's about it. We are made of sturdier stuff, you know? You should have seen Thorin some time ago. Azog's pet got him bad and then, with just a little patching from our wizard, TADA~! He was back on his feet and ready to keep going"

"You had a wizard with you? That's how you escaped from the Elven King's Halls?" she asked a little surprised.

"Oh, no, that wasn't Gandalf. Bilbo was the one who got us out, our halfling" Bofur said. "Although we still don't know how he does it. Perhaps he has a little magic himself, or perhaps..."

"The problem is, we could really use a wizard right now. We don't know what happened with Bard, the father of these children" Fili then explained the story behind Bard and the black arrow and how he had left to try to prepare for the dragon's coming.

"I hid the black arrow. Even if the guard's of the Master came here, they won't find it" the boy said proud of his quick thinking.

"Could you shoot it?" Fili asked of Tauriel.

"If the arrow is like the tales said, no, I doubt it. Mine are smaller and almost weightless, and I have never touched a dwarven windlass crossbow. But are you sure the dragon is coming?" Tauriel said hoping to be wrong and, just as if Smaug himself was answering, another tremor from mountain shook the house.

"Yep. Dragon. Pretty sure" Bofur grabbed his weapon in anticipation.

"My dad can shoot it" Sigrid said with full faith on her father.

"We must find him then, let him be ready" Fili noded to the boy and turned at Tauriel. "We should look for him at jail first. Bust him out if we must."

"The children should not stay here" Oin finally commented and they all agreed.

"We must get you all out of here quick" Bofur looked at the kids with worry. Tauriel had already gone up and was helping Kili down the attic with Oin's assistance. Oin had made a crude crutch for him, but it didn't make much of a difference on his state.

"The quickest way to leave, would be my father's boat. I can lead you to the arrow, is not far from here. Then I can run back and sail the rest out" Bain told Fili as he grabbed a satchel and started to place the essentials to leave home, same as his sisters: some food, some clothes, a knife.

"I'll go with you" the young dwarf stated.

"Kili..." Tauriel face was full of worry.

"Fili, I can still shoot" but Fili would have none of his reasons, he simply turned around to grab his weapon and motioned Bain outside. Tauriel took her bow, arrows and her knife and followed him to the door. As soon as they stepped out of the house, they could see a golden glow in the distance at the mountain.

"Smaug" Fili breathed in disbelief. It had to be the dragon.

"I said, I'll go" Kili had walked with the crutch and grabbed their arms.

"No" Fili and Tauriel said at the same time surprising everyone. Fili tried to hold Kili just as he was about to stumble

"Oin, Bofur. You take Kili and the girls to the boat we came in and leave. Bain, if you are as half as good as your father is with a boat, you should be out of harm's way very quickly"

"FILI! Listen-!" Kili said in frustration.

"Kili, if that's really Smaug, then Thorin might be..."

"Don't dare say it!"

"I won't. But we can't take any chances. We can't let this people die because our uncle woke a dragon. I have to stay and make sure they at least have a fighting chance; that arrow IS their only chance. And if something was to happen to me..."

"No. Don't you even-!"

"You have to get to safety"

"You won't get trapped here, you heard me!? Neither of you! If the arrow is wasted, you must run. You must save yourselves! Promise me!" Kili demanded of them. There was a small silence between them. Fili and Tauriel looked at each other and nodded back to Fili.

"Let's go" Fili said, and so they ran into the night.


	2. Chapter 2: Into the West

**Hi! I'm back with the final part of this story. I decided to simply jump directly to where the movie ended. Sadly, I don't have time for a complete re-write of the book+movie to continue from the last chapter, but this is perhaps the part many are looking forward anyway. Please enjoy! I don't own any of these characters.**

* * *

><p>Tauriel closed her eyes feeling the bitter wind of winter on her face. She was still holding the body of her beloved in her arms. It hurts so much, she kept repeating on her head. They would surely bury him in a stone grave deep into the halls of Erebor. That was their custom…and she was likely not going to be allowed inside.<p>

Suddenly, she started to sing from the heart…

_Don't say_

_We have come now to the end_

_White shores are calling_

_You and I will meet again_

_And you'll be here in my arms_

_Just sleeping-_

Her voice echoed through the ruins but soon, she broke into sobbing again at the last line.

"There you are…" she heard Bofur at the archway with the other dwarves. He gave her a long sad look and half a smile. "We had found Fili but…"

Tuariel tried to compose herself and nodded, slowly left Kili back in the ground in silence. She knew they had come to take him back.

Balin gave a heavy sigh between quite tears himself. These boys… he had watched them grow. But to loose them all three… "Let's bring him with his brother and uncle" he waved to the rest to help out carrying him.

Tauriel simply stood aside a few steps back, watching without saying a word, and then, as the dwarves lifted the body of the young prince, the runestone fell to the floor from his hand, breaking the silence. The dwarves stopped looking at the little thing.

Bofur and Oin glanced at each other for a second and nodded. Bofur picked the stone up and offered it to Tauriel with an extended hand.

"My lady. He gave it to you… and it seems it wants to stay with you. You should keep it" he explained. Tauriel, with lips trembling, slowly nodded to the dwarf and took it back.

Part of her was telling her not to take it. It was hurting so much already! What was she supposed to do now? She stood there even after the dwarves left and the people of the Dale counted their dead. With pain in her chest, Tauriel made up her mind under the stars and started the way back below. She didn't headed to Erebor or the King's woods, or the newly habited city of Dale… she headed West, searching for something.

* * *

><p>Several weeks after the Battle of the Five Armies (as people started to call it), Dis, sister of Thorin Oakenshield, and hundreds of other dwarves were on their way back to their long lost home. The migration caused quite the stir among the humans. To see so many dwarves in large caravans heading east was unique. Most dwarves were overjoyed to be back home, but they keep their effusiveness in check around Dis. She had lost them all. Her dear brother and her two sweet children. She had cried in despair… but she kept going. She couldn't dishonor their sacrifice. She had to go where they were and so she forced herself to move with the rest of the caravan instead of quietly whimpering in the back of a wagon.<p>

But soon, she heard the rumors. The first caravans had met someone…

"There's an elf looking for Dis", they said.

An elf!? She couldn't believe her ears. What was that supposed to mean? The caravans had obviously turned her away, but the elf would simply move or wait for the next one by the road.

"Is the sister of Thorin Oakenshield among you?" she keeping asking.

_"What do you care?"_

_"Never trust and elf!"_

_"What business you have with her?" _

And the elf would stay quiet. "I cannot say"

Given her insistence, Dis finally had enough. That night, she moved ahead of the caravan while the others were resting; no need of having prying ears and eyes when sending off this elf on its way.

"What do you want? If you want to say something, you can say it to my face" Dis called out at the figure sitting by the road. Tauriel looked up startled.

Dis had shared a deep distrusts of elves, mostly because her brother. She had been but a small child when Erebor was lost, but she remembered fear and screams and death, yet, the elven help never came.

Tauriel stood up, her eyes going wide. "Well, don't just stay there. I'm Dis. Sister of Thorin Oakenshield, Daughter of Thrain, Son of Thror-…" she was going to add King Under the Mountain but Tauriel cut her short.

"Mother of Fili and Kili" Tauriel said with sadness in her voice. Dis stared at the elf, suddenly realizing… there was something wrong with her. She remembered elves to be full of aloofness and life, but this one looked… broken. She could have passed for a human.

"Yes… Mother of Fili and Kili" the words hurt Dis heart, but now she was intrigued by this creature. She approached the elf, still leaving some space between them.

Tauriel bit her lip and slowly reached inside her pocket.

"I wished… to bring this back to you" she showed the runestone in her palm.

Dis gasped, quickly covering her mouth.

"How did you-? It should be with my boy-! My boy! My Kili! Did you stole it from him!? From his tomb!" Dis broke down crying, almost afraid of touching the stone. Afraid it was some kind of trap.

"No, no, no" Tauriel shook her head, taken back by the accusation, her voice also faltering "I didn't-…! He gave it to me. I swear. He-…" she fell to her knees, the pain on her chest increasing again, making her to cry again.

"He gave it to you?" Dis stepped back for a second, baffled, trying to make sense of what was happening. Those tears were real, she could tell, and it slowly dawned on her. "Oh, Kili…" she approached Tauriel and couped the elf's crying face in her hands. Dis was searching for something.

"I tried to save him… but I couldn't… I couldn't. I'm sorry… I'm so sorry" Tauriel half-sobbed.

"Oh Kili…" she repeated smiling weakly at Tauriel. "My boy… he gave you this, did he?" she grabbed Tauriel's hands, still gripping the runestone.

"My Kili. He gave you his heart, did he?" but the elf couldn't speak. She simply stared back at Dis' sad and understanding eyes. "A mother knows his sons…" Tauriel nodded and looked back at the runestone.

"He told me… you gave it to him. He made a similar promise to me… but-" she offered it to Dis.

"No" the dwarven woman shook her head with a sad smile, "It was his to give".

They talked little, but enough.

Dis had asked Tauriel if she was headed back to Mirkwood, urging her to return with familiar places and faces. But Tauriel shook her head. Tauriel knew Thranduil had pardoned her and allowed her to return to his kingdom, but she simply couldn't go back.

"It is too painful"

And so, the two women said their farewells.

* * *

><p>Tauriel wandered aimlessly. She had hoped the pain would diminish, but months are but a blink in the life of an elf. One night with clear skies, she found herself walking down the Greenway road, and something in heart told her to stop and look up. And there it was… the fire moon. Red and Gold.<p>

_"I wish I could show you..." _she remembered his words so clearly. It was at that moment when she realized there pain was never going to go away. She was withering. There was only one thing she could try to do…

The following days passed in a blurr. Her steps had taken her to that one place. The Grey Havens.

She made her way to the docks and sat in silence, looking the beautiful sailing away. There were many elves here, preparing themselves for their great voyage, and from time from time they would glance in her way and look troubled. Who was that one? Did she came alone? Surely she's too young for the Journey. She must have come to say goodbye to a friend or a mentor. This they thought for they could not know what was on heart.

She stared at the bay for hours until sunset came and the sea was painted in gold by the setting sun.

"Goodness, child. Have you eaten anything?" an old voice startled her. She turned around to meet Gandalf's troubled gaze.

"_Mithrandir_" she said weakly, quite surprised.

"Tauriel, is it?" he nodded and moved to sit at her side. "Well? Have you eaten?"

She stared at him for a second. She did not remember the last time she had eaten her lembas bread. Seeing she was unable to respond, out of nowhere Gandalf placed a biscuit on her hands.

"Eat, please"

She wasn't hungry. Or was she? She really couldn't tell anymore, but she did as Mithrandir had asked and slowly ate the biscuit. It wasn't great but it did provided some relief to her body.

When she had finished Gandalf asked.

"Tell me, _wendë_, what are you doing here so far from home?"

"I..." the words wouldn't leave her lips.

He placed a hand on her shoulder. "You are still grieving"

"...Yes"

Gandalf had learned well what had transpired between the two. He had meant to talk to her soon after the funeral, but she was gone by then. After leaving Bilbo on The Shire, he had the hunch he would find her here.

"Child... you are not thinking of crossing to Valinor, are you?"

"Would I be here if I hadn't?"

"Things will not work the way you want"

"I know" and this surprised Gandalf "He's in the Halls of his Fathers. They say there is a special place for the souls of dwarves. He will stay there and, even if I go, even if I cross, I won't be able to-..." Her lips trembled.

"We will be kept separate. For all time... until the end of this world!" her eyes glistened, finaly facing the terrible truth.

"I will never see him again" Tauriel whispered and she burst d into tears. "He's with his kin, and I'll be with mine. Even then, even in death we won't be allowed to reach to each other. They will keep us apart...!"

She held to the wizard as she wept in sorrow. She tried to cover her mouth in a futile attempt to drown back her sobbing as Gandalf gently caressed her long red hair.

"I'm withering… I can't take this any longer!"

"_Wendë_..." he whispered soflty "Do not wither away. He must not have wanted that of you" He could tell her heart was broken and it was very possible for an elf to die like that. It has happened before, he thought.

Tauriel knew he was right. Kili would not had wanted her to cry herself to death. But it was so hard! She now understood why elves tried to stay away from humans with their short lives. Many would have died of broken hearts! To love and loose so soon! Perhaps no elf had experienced it in such extreme short time as she had done. Tauriel looked up, eyes full of tears, and suddenly, something slipped out of her hands, making her gasp. Kili's stone almost fell to the ground but she quickly caught it mid air (her reflexes were still great, Gandalf noted). She placed it back, close to her heart.

"May I ask what is that?" he looked at her curiously. She had stopped sobbing, momentarily.

"This is..." she breathed deeply, trying to regain her composure. "It was his" she only managed to say.

"May I see it?" Gandalf extended his old hand and Tauriel hesitated briefly before handing it to him. The wizard examined the stone with great interest, while she closed her eyes trying to regain control of her senses. "Mmmh... do you know where did he get this stone?"

"His mother gave it to him... To remind him to come back to her" she said trying to dry her tears.

"I see" he simply nodded, completely absorbed by the runes. "The stone itself is old... very so. Tell me, do you know what these runes say?"

"I..." her cheeks blushed in embarrassment "No. I had never had the need to learn dwarven runes before. I never really asked. I assumed it meant 'home', or perhaps 'mother'"

"This says 'Innikhdê'" he said the words in a solemn tone "Which translate into 'Return To Me'"

She closed her eyes, as if a dagger had just found its way to her heart once again.

"Have you been carrying it all this time?"

"Yes. I brought it back to his mother but... she said I should keep it" she still couldn't understand why Gandalf was so interested on the stone. Tauriel didn't feel any magic from it. The value was purely sentimental.

"That was very kind of her"

They were silent for a minute or two until Gandalf seemed satisfied and handed the runestone back with a warm smile. She grabbed it but didn't say word for another while. The wizard and her contemplated the horizon and the setting sun.

"Tauriel... You do love him so?"

"I never thought I could love like this" she said with honestly. "It scares me how much..."

"I see" there was a pause "Say, I'm sure you know well the story of Luthien and Beren"

"Of course" she said suddenly very concerned. Luthien... she had died of grief when her human love was killed and then sang of her ill fate as she would be kept away from the soul of her love, just like herself. She was allowed to give up her immortality to revive him and later join him in the Halls of Men when their lives ended.

"You think Námo will be moved by my plea?" she asked confused, why was he bringing that up? Was he trying to give her false hope?

"What do you think?"

"_Mithrandir_..." she frowned "I'm not the fairest of all maidens like Luthien was. I'm not even one of the Eldar. I do not compare to her feats in life..."

"Indeed. But these are strange days. I don't think anyone would have imagined a love like yours would appear at this time and age. I believe you might be the first elf to open her heart to a child of Aulë... or at the very least I hadn't heard it happening like this before"

He continued now that he had her full attention.

"Some say Aulë gained dwarves a privilege that distinguished them from Elves and Men: that the spirit would, at the end of the their life, fall asleep, but then lie in a tomb of his own body, at rest, and there its weariness and any hurts that had befallen him should be amended. "

Tauriel went wide eyed.

_You and I will meet again_

_And you'll be here in my arms_

_Just sleeping._

Her song.

She had sang from the heart. Did her heart and soul knew something her mind hadn't?

"Then... you say I could give up my immortality in exchange for his return?" she asked.

_**INNIKHDê**_

Her heart skipped a beat and she gasped.

What was that? What had just happen? Startled, she looked down to the stone close to her heart. It had been almost as if the stone itself was answering her. The flame of life had been rekindled in her soul.

"Perhaps" Gandalf continued with a strange smile. "The love you shared was a strong one. The Halls of Waiting are a place of quiet contemplation. If you were to die now, oh! Knowing Kili, he would make quite a ruckus if he was not allowed to see you too" he smirked "Maybe even Fili would help him out, don't you think?"

Her heart was overjoyed. There was hope!

"_Mithrandir_!" she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him.

"Oh, oh" he chuckled patting her in the head.

"You have saved me!" tears of happiness rolling down her cheeks. "But, even if this is possible… there's something I don't know. Luthien was said to go to the Halls of Men with Beren when she died. Even if bringing him back, I really don't think Kili's forefathers would like me in their Halls" she shook her head, very worried about it.

"You are right. I guess things would be easier if there was more understanding between dwarves and elves... For the moment, at least."

"What do you mean _Mithrandir_?" he was always talking in riddles.

"Who knows child? Perhaps one day the races will be at a better standing. A day when no one will bat an eye when elves openly call out loud Melon or Nin Meleth to dwarves. Wouldn't be good for you to wait for such a time before you attempt to bring him back?"

"Can that be possible?" it sounded too good to be truth "Even when we worked together at the gates of Erebor and the Dale, there's still so much distrust... Who could make something like that happen? Who could be a bridge for our races and heal the ties broken?"

"If I have learned anything during my lifetime is those who are the unlikeliest people. It might surprise you" he chuckled.

"Then... I will wait" she looked at the sunset with renewned hope. She didn't know how long it would take... but she didn't care.

* * *

><p>A lone elf maiden visited the gates of Erebor several times. Most dwarves didn't knew her name, for most had come from far away to settle on the Lonely Mountain and weren't bothered to learn some sneaky elf's name. Still, there were a few old dwarves who would approach her and talk to her as if they had meet her a long, long time ago. Even if the elves and dwarves had restablished trade, everything was still taking place outside the halls of Erebor, and people would see her with suspicious eyes if she attempted to enter their domains. Elves were only allowed under official business. The guards would shoo her away, "Dwarves only!" they would say. She seemed to be looking for something or someone, but never really said what or who.<p>

Until one day during the Forth Age, many years after the defeat of The Enemy, Gimli, Lord of the Glittering caves came to visit his relatives on the Lonely Mountain, and his good friend, Legolas the Prince of Mirkwood came also to spend time with him. Legolas had brought food and wine and music, so a great feast was given for old friends and new. And among them, the elven maiden walked with hopeful eyes.

This time, while everyone laughed and joked together, dwarf and elf alike, no one turned to see her, to ask her why she was here or that she should leave. She stood there and looked around as dwarves and elves ate and laughed together. She made her way inside the halls and no one made a move to stop her. She walked deep, where only the sound of her steps echoed.

Outside, Gimli was enjoying the party and drinking his share.

"Are you trying to drown yourself, again?" the elven prince raised an eyebrow at his old friend.

"Oh, shut it" Gimli kept drinking "Let me have my fun, will ya?"

"Sure, sure" Legolas laughed.

_-"INNIKHDê"-_

"Oh... oh! Well, would you look at that!" Gimli poked Legolas, making him frown.

"What is it?"

"There, in the sky" the dwarf pointed up behind the clouds.

Legolas looked up confused as he was usually the first to spot anything strange. His eyes went wide.

"A fire moon" Legolas whispered, staring in disbelief.

"I have seen that one before, when I was a boy over the pass near Dunland " Gimli just found it interesting "Been a long time! I didn't knew you could see it out here too-... Hey! What kind of party is this! My drink is empty!" he called for a refill.

"We do not see it here" Legolas slowly got up from his seat. His people knew every star and all the moons of this part of the world. The fire moon could only be seen on the west. What was the meaning of this?

A cloud covered the moon completely and when it passed, it was full and pale again. Something had just happened. Legolas got a slight feeling of magic in the air. But maybe he was wrong. No one else seemed to have noticed that moon. He was about to sit but then, he saw them.

The two were walking out of the gates of Erebor, hand in hand. No one recognized them or were far too drunk to try. He was tempted to call out loud for them, but he realized it might not be wise. They had to leave quickly or there would be too many questions.

Legolas smiled warmly. He was happy for her. He had a hunch that he unknowingly had just taken part of this event, and he was glad.

"_Merin sa haryalyae alasse, Melon_" he whispered as the couple disappeared among the crowd, into a new life.

"What was that?" Gimli looked up curiously.

"I said... '_I wish you shall possess joy, friend'_" he turned to Gimli and placed a hand on his shoulder.

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you for reading. If you liked it, please, I would greatly appreciate if you could leave a review. <strong>

**Since last year, after I watched The Desolation of Smaug, it broke my heart to think that even if they both died, they wouldn't end up together. Per Tolkien, elves, men and dwarves were placed on different "heavens". I didn't know how Peter Jackson was going to handle Tauriel at the end, but I had the hunch that she indeed was going to survive the battle. We know what happens with elves with a broken heart so I really wanted to find a solution for how terrible things could end up.**

**I had to dig very deep to try to find a loophole in the lore. I eventually found a mention about the Forefathers having this supposed ability of restoring themselves as if they were sleeping… it could be the chance we needed for Kili. He is, after all, a proud direct descendant of Durin's Line. That had to count for something. The runestone also had to come into the story somewhere as it was given quite amount of attention... and well, the song Into the West was certainly a big influence over all of this. **

**Maybe I'm just grasping at straws but I simply wanted to share this idea with you all, especially for those who were too heartbroken about how things ended up. I liked the concept of Legolas and Gimli's friendship marking the healing of the ties between their races, and being the unwitting and unexpected help Tauriel needed to bring back Kili. **

**Also, pardon my elvish. I tried my best there. Hope you don't mind if there are some errors. Again, thank you for reading, and I hope to you leave some comments. **


End file.
